Written Answers Wednesday 14 November 2007

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5467 by Shona Robison on 31 October 2007, whether it intends to make more up-to-date estimates than for 2002-03 in respect of health service resource use and costs associated with alcohol misuse.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-5977 on 13 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website; the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Antisocial Behaviour

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being undertaken to prepare for its review of the antisocial behaviour strategy.

Fergus Ewing: The following research, which will help to inform the review of the antisocial behaviour strategy, has already been published:

  Use of Antisocial Behaviour Orders in Scotland (20 September 2007, Bib. number 43671);

  A Review of Dispersal Powers (25 October 2007, Bib. number 43909);

  The Impact of Local Antisocial Behaviour Strategies at the Neighbourhood Level (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44006), and

  An Evaluation of Local Authority Noise Nuisance Services (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44007).

  In addition, as part of the review we are conducting interviews with each police force in Scotland and with most Scottish local authorities to develop our understanding of the use and effectiveness of key powers in the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. We are also conducting further research on the breach rate for Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) to supplement the research on ASBOs referred to above.

  We may instigate further research as necessary during the course of the review.

Antisocial Behaviour

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods are being used to measure public satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are tackling antisocial behaviour.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods are being used to measure public satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are using the provisions of the antisocial behaviour legislation.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods are being used to measure public expectations of what local authorities should be doing to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Fergus Ewing: Since 2005, public satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are tackling antisocial behaviour has been measured through a specific question in the Scottish Household Survey. In addition, many local authorities conduct their own public satisfaction surveys and solicit customer feedback and reflect this information in the annual outcome agreement reports they submit to the Scottish Government for assessment.

  Furthermore, the review of the national antisocial behaviour strategy will consider the use and effectiveness of key measures in the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 and we will be consulting with communities on this as part of the review.

Antisocial Behaviour

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether research undertaken to prepare for its review of the antisocial behaviour strategy will be made public.

Fergus Ewing: The following research, which will help to inform the review of the antisocial behaviour strategy, has already been published:

  Use of Antisocial Behaviour Orders in Scotland (20 September 2007, Bib. number 43671);

  A Review of Dispersal Powers (25 October 2007, Bib. number 43909);

  The Impact of Local Antisocial Behaviour Strategies at the Neighbourhood Level (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44006), and

  An Evaluation of Local Authority Noise Nuisance Services (25 October 2007, Bib. number 44007).

  All other research that is undertaken to inform the review will be published.

Care of Elderly People

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people aged 65 and over are in receipt of free personal care, broken down by local authority.

Shona Robison: The numbers and percentages of people aged 65 and over who receive free personal care either in a care home or at home, broken down by local authority, are detailed in the following tables.

  These figures represent all older people resident in care homes who are supported by local authorities and all people receiving personal care services in their own homes which are provided or purchased by local authorities.

  Table 1: Older People in Receipt of Free Personal Care at Home, 2006-07

  

 
 Number of Clients
 Proportion of Those Over 65 in Receipt of FPC as a % of All Those 65+


 Aberdeen City
 1,760
 5.5


 Aberdeenshire
 1,810
 5.0


 Angus
 790
 3.8


 Argyll and Bute
 420
 2.3


 Clackmannanshire
 480
 6.4


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1,380
 4.5


 Dundee City
 1,200
 4.7


 East Ayrshire
 1,250
 6.2


 East Dunbartonshire
 630
 3.4


 East Lothian
 890
 5.4


 East Renfrewshire
 750
 4.9


 Edinburgh, City of
 2,650
 3.9


 Eilean Siar
 450
 8.4


 Falkirk
 1,200
 5.1


 Fife
 3,420
 5.7


 Glasgow City
 4,810
 5.7


 Highland
 1,840
 4.8


 Inverclyde
 1,050
 7.5


 Midlothian
 520
 4.1


 Moray
 760
 5.0


 North Ayrshire
 1,000
 4.2


 North Lanarkshire
 2,270
 4.8


 Orkney Islands
 180
 4.9


 Perth and Kinross
 1,010
 3.7


 Renfrewshire
 1,010
 3.7


 Scottish Borders
 1,040
 4.9


 Shetland Islands
 180
 5.2


 South Ayrshire
 1,330
 5.9


 South Lanarkshire
 2,160
 4.4


 Stirling
 450
 3.1


 West Dunbartonshire
 1,010
 6.9


 West Lothian
 970
 4.7


 Whole Scotland
 40,660
 4.9



  Sources:

  Community Care Quarterly Key Monitoring Return, the Scottish Government.

  Mid-year population estimates for 2006, General Register Office for Scotland.

  Note: Figures are based on yearly averages. The number of clients has been rounded to the nearest 10.

  Table 2: Older people who are in Receipt of Free Personal Care in Care Homes, 2006-07

  

 
 All Clients in Receipt of LA Support in Care Homes (Including FPC)
 Proportion of those over 65 in Receipt of FPC as a % of all those 65+
 Of these, Clients in Care Homes in Receipt of FPC Support only
 Proportion of those over 65 in Receipt of FPC as a % of all those 65+


 Aberdeen City
 1,630
 5.1
 440
 1.4


 Aberdeenshire
 1,390
 3.8
 450
 1.2


 Angus
 720
 3.5
 280
 1.4


 Argyll and Bute
 720
 4.0
 250
 1.4


 Clackmannanshire
 260
 3.5
 50
 0.6


 Dumfries and Galloway
 800
 2.6
 290
 1.0


 Dundee City
 820
 3.2
 220
 0.9


 East Ayrshire
 690
 3.5
 160
 0.8


 East Dunbartonshire
 540
 2.9
 290
 1.6


 East Lothian
 570
 3.5
 170
 1.0


 East Renfrewshire
 330
 2.2
 240
 1.6


 Edinburgh, City of
 3,010
 4.4
 1,320
 1.9


 Eilean Siar
 190
 3.6
 20
 0.4


 Falkirk
 740
 3.1
 150
 0.6


 Fife
 2,020
 3.4
 800
 1.3


 Glasgow City
 4,530
 5.4
 650
 0.8


 Highland
 1,350
 3.6
 400
 1.1


 Inverclyde
 540
 3.9
 160
 1.1


 Midlothian
 470
 3.7
 90
 0.7


 Moray
 550
 3.6
 180
 1.2


 North Ayrshire
 830
 3.5
 250
 1.1


 North Lanarkshire
 1,490
 3.2
 230
 0.5


 Orkney Islands
 100
 2.8
 20
 0.4


 Perth and Kinross
 1,080
 4.0
 450
 1.7


 Renfrewshire
 1,070
 3.9
 240
 0.9


 Scottish Borders
 740
 3.5
 100
 0.5


 Shetland Islands
 110
 3.2
 0
 0.0


 South Ayrshire
 820
 3.6
 360
 1.6


 South Lanarkshire
 1,660
 3.4
 490
 1.0


 Stirling
 520
 3.7
 220
 1.6


 West Dunbartonshire
 510
 3.5
 80
 0.5


 West Lothian
 600
 2.9
 130
 0.6


 Whole Scotland
 31,400
 3.7
 9,200
 1.1



  Sources:

  Community Care Quarterly Key Monitoring Return, the Scottish Government.

  Mid-year population estimates for 2006, General Register Office for Scotland.

  Note: Figures are based on yearly averages. The number of clients has been rounded to the nearest 10.

Care of Elderly People

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of free personal care was in 2006-07, broken down by local authority.

Shona Robison: Expenditure information on the cost of free personal care is only available up until 2005-06.

  The most up-to-date information on free personal care in Scotland can be found in tables 8 and 10 in the annex of the publication Free personal and nursing care, Scotland 2002-03 to 2005-06.

  (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/06/22152540/0 or Bib. number 43996).

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3407 by Stewart Maxwell on 4 September 2007, how many of the 31,720 applications to Scottish Gas for central heating since October 2006 have (a) been assessed, (b) been approved and (c) resulted in installation of a heating system.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Programme Managing Agent (Scottish Gas) has indicated that all applicants to the programme, as at 4 September, have been assessed through the call centre process and 20,298 have had eligibility survey assessments. The others were deemed not eligible or withdrew their applications for other reasons.

  From the total number of applicants assessed 17,458 have been approved for installation and 11,827 of those have had central heating installed.

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems have been installed in the Scottish Borders under the central heating programme in each year since its inception.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Information about the central heating programme is only available by postcode area.

  The number of systems installed in the TD postcode area is shown in the table below:

  No. of Systems Installed in TD Postcode Area

  

 Year
 


 2001-02
 19


 2002-03
 70


 2003-04
 244


 2004-05 
 427


 2005-06
 286


 2006-07
 179


 2007-08 (to date)
 80

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications under the central heating programme have been made in each year since its inception.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Information in the format requested is not held prior to 2006-07.

  In 2006-07, 25,133 householders applied to the Programme and in 2007-08 15, 197 have applied, to the end of September.

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times have been from (a) application to assessment and (b) assessment to installation under the central heating programme in each year since its inception.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Information in the format requested is not held centrally. However, information is held on the average waiting time from application to installation.

  The average waiting time on the central heating programme reported by the Managing Agent since 2002-03 is shown in the following table:

  Average Waiting Time (Months)

  

 Year
 


 2002-03
 8


 2003-04
 8


 2004-05 
 5-6


 2005-06
 5-6


 2006-07
 5


 2007-08 (current)
 5-6

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times have been in the Scottish Borders from (a) application to assessment and (b) assessment to installation under the central heating programme in each year since its inception.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Information in the format requested is not held centrally.

Child Welfare

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when a draft code of practice will be published on sharing information where there are concerns about the welfare of children.

Adam Ingram: The government has recently sought a wide range of views on a draft Code of Practice for Sharing Information when there are concerns about a child. The 87 responses are currently being analysed. Those views will inform the redrafting of the code in coming months and consideration will be given to how best to ensure that the code is embedded into practice.

Class Sizes

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of additional teachers required in Dundee to implement in full its commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 and below in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: No estimate has been made of the additional teachers required by individual local authorities to reduce class sizes in primary 1 to primary 3 to a maximum of 18. We carry out an annual national teacher workforce planning exercise which estimates the number of teachers that require to be trained in the years ahead taking into account demographic changes in the pupil and teacher populations. The General Registers of Scotland recently published revised population projections that will need to be taken into account in this year’s exercise. That exercise will not be complete until around the end of this year.

Class Sizes

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the additional funds that will have to be made available to Dundee City Council for the full implementation of the commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 and below in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: No estimate has been made of the additional funding required by individual authorities for the full implementation of our class size commitment. We are working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to develop outcome agreements that will cover reduction in class sizes. Dundee City Council has already received an additional £235,000 as is share of the £9 million additional Funding announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 20 June 2007.

Class Sizes

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning or her ministers have met members of the administration of Dundee City Council to discuss the commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 and below in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: Discussions have been held with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the development of outcome agreements that cover our class size commitments.

Defence

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5873 by Bruce Crawford on 7 November 2007, whether it will list the recipients of the First Minister’s letter identified by state.

Bruce Crawford: The information requested is as follows:

  London-Based Embassies

  

Name
Position
Country


His Excellency Mr Ahmad Wali Masoud
Ambassador
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan


His Excellency Mr Kastriot Robo
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Albania


His Excellency Mohamed Salah Dembri
Ambassador
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria


Her Excellency Mrs Ana Maria Teles Carreira
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Angola


His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts
High Commissioner
High Commission for Antigua and Barbuda


His Excellency Mr Federico Mirre
Ambassador
Embassy of the Argentine Republic


His Excellency Dr Vahe Gabriel Yan
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia


His Excellency The Hon Richard Alston
High Commissioner
Australian High Commission


Her Excellency Mrs Gabriele Matzner-Holzer
Ambassador
Embassy of Austria


His Excellency Mr Rafael Ibrahimov
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan


His Excellency Mr Basil G O’Brien CMG
High Commissioner
High Commission of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas


Mrs Maria Rosa Picart de Francis
Charge d’Affaires a.i, Minister Counsellor
Embassy of the Principality of Andorra


Mr Yusuf M Jameel
Counsellor
Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain


His Excellency Mr Sabihuddin Ahmed
High Commissioner
High Commission, the People’s Rebubic, Bangladesh


His Excellency Mr L Edwin Pollard
High Commissioner
Barbados High Commission


His Excellency Mr Aleksandr Mikhnevich
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Belarus


His Excellency Jean-Michel Veranneman De Watervlli
Ambassador
Embassy of Belgium


His Excellency Mr Lawrence Sylvester
High Commissioner
Belize High Commission


High Excellency Mr Edgar-Yves Monnou
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Benin


Her Excellency Mrs Beatriz Souviron
Ambassador
Bolivian Embassy


Her Excellency Dr Tanja Milasinovic
Ambassador
Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina


His Excellency Mr Roy Blackbeard
High Commissioner
Botswana High Commission


His Excellency Mr Jose Mauricio Bustani
Ambassador
Embassy of Brazil


His Excellency Pengiran Dato Maidin Hashim
High Commissioner
Brunei Darussalam High Commission


His Excellency Dr Lachezar Matev
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria


His Excellency Mr Kadre Desire Ouedraogo
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Burkina Faso


His Excellency Mr Nay Win
Ambassador
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar


His Excellency Mr Laurent Kavakure
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Burundi


His Excellency Mr Hor Nambora
Ambassador
The Royal Embassy of Cambodia


His Excellency Mr Samuel Libock MBEI
High Commissioner
High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon


His Excellency Mr James R Wright
High Commissioner
Canadian High Commission


Mrs Clara Manuela da Luz Delgado
2nd Secretary
Embassy of the Republic of Cape Verde


Position nVacant
Ambassador
Embassy of the Central African Republic


Mr Ahmat Abderaman Hagger
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Chad


His Excellency Mr Rafael Moreno
Ambassador
Embassy of Chile


His Excellency Mr Zha Peixin
Ambassador
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China


His Excellency Mr Alfonso Lopex-Caballero
Ambassador
Embassy of Colombia


His Excellency Monsieur Henri Marie Joseph Lopes
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Congo


Her Excellency Mrs Eugenie Tshiela Compton
Ambassador
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo


Her Excellency Mrs Pilar Saborio De Rocafort
Ambassador
Embassy of Costa Rica


His Excellency Mr Djessan Philippe Djangone-BI
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire


His Excellency Mr Josip Paro
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Croatia


His Excellency Mr Rene Juan Mujica Cantelar
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Cuba


His Excellency George Iacovou
High Commissioner
High Commission for the Republic of Cyprus


His Excellency Mr Jan Winkler
Ambassador
Embassy of the Czech Republic


His Excellency Mr Birger Riis-Jorgensen
Ambassador
Royal Danish Embassy


Mr Mourad Houssein Mouti
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of Djibouti


Ms Agnes Adonis
Acting High Commissioner
Office of the High Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Dominica


His Excellency Mr Anibal De Castro
Ambassador
Embassy of the Dominican Republic


His Excellency Dr Teodoro Maldonado Riera
Ambassador
Embassy of Ecuador


His Excellency Mr Gehad Madi
Ambassador
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt


His Excellency Mr Vladimiro P Villalta
Ambassador
Embassy of El Salvador


His Excellency Mr Agustin Nze Nfumu
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea


His Excellency Mr Negassi Sengal
Ambassador
Embassy of the State of Eritrea


His Excellency Dr Margus Laidre
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Estonia


His Excellency Mr Berhanu Kebede
Ambassador
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia 


His Excellency Mr Emitai Lausiki Boladuadua
High Commissioner
High Commission of the Republic of the Fiji Island


His Excellency Mr Jaakko Laajava
Ambassador
The Embassy of Finland


His Excellency Mr Gerard Errera
Ambassador
Embassy of France


His Excellency Mr Alain Menshah Zouguelet
Ambassador
Embassy of the Gabonese Republic


His Excellency Mr Tamsir Jallow
High Commissioner
The Gambia High Commission


His Excellency Mr Gela Charkviani
Ambassador
Embassy of Georgia


His Excellency Mr Wolfgang Ischinger
Ambassador
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany


His Excellency Mr Annan Arkyin Cato
High Commissioner
Office of the High Commissioner for Ghana


His Excellency Mr Vassilis Achilleas Pispinis
Ambassador
Embassy of Greece


His Excellency Mr Joseph S Charter
High Commissioner
High Commission for Grenada


His Excellency Mr Edmundo Urrutia
Ambassador
Embassy of Guatemala


His Excellency Mr Lansana Keita
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Guinea


Mr Fali Embalo
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau


His Excellency Mr Laleshwar K N Singh
High Commissioner
High Commission for Guyana


His Excellency Archibhop Faustino Sainz Munoz
Apostolic Nuncio
Apostolic Nunciature to Great Britain


Mr Ivan Romero Nasser
Charge d’Affairs
Embassy of Honduras


Her Excellency Mrs Barbara Czako
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Hungary


His Excellency Mr Sverrir Haukur Gunnlaugsson
Ambassador
Embassy of Iceland


Mr Ivan Romero Nasser
Charge d’Affairs
Embassy of Honduras


Her Excellency Mrs Barbara Czako
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Hungary


His Excellency Dr R M Marty M Natalegawa
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia


His Excellency Mr Rasoul Movahedian Attar
Ambassador
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran


His Excellency Dr Salah Al-Shaikhly
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq


His Excellency Mr Daithi O’Ceallaigh
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Ireland


His Excellency Mr Giancarlo Aragona
Ambassador
Italian Embassy


Mrs Sharon Saunders
Acting High Commissioner
Jamaican High Commission


His Excellency Mr Yoshiji Nogami
Ambassador
Embassy of Japan


Her Excellency Dr Alia Bouran
Ambassador
Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan


His Excellency Mr Erlan A Idrissov
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan


His Excellency Mr Joseph Muchemi
High Commissioner
Kenya High Commission


High Commissioner
c/o Office of the President
Kiribati


His Excellency Dr Yoon-Je Cho
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Korea


His Excellency Mr Khaled Al-Duwaisangcvo
Ambassador
Embassy of the State of Kuwait


His Excellency Mr Kuban Mambetaliev
Ambassador
Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic


His Excellency Mr Soutsakhone Pathammavong
Ambassador
Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic


His Excellency Mr Indulis Berzins
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Latvia


Mr Milad Nammour
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of Lebanon


HRH Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso
High Commissioner
High Commission of the Kingdom of Lesotho


Mr Dorsey Handsford
Minister Plenipotentiary & Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of Liberia


Mr Omar R Jelban
Charge d’Affaires
The People’s Bureau of The Great Socialist, People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya


H E Mr Vygaudas Usackas
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania


His Excellency Monsieur Jean-Louis Wolzfeld
Ambassador
Embassy of Luxembourg


Mr Muhamet Halili
Minister Counsellor
Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia


Dr Iary Berthine Ravaoarimanana
Charge d’Affaires & 1st Counsellor
Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar


His Excellency Dr Francis Moto
High Commissioner
High Commission of the Republic of Malawi


His Excellency Mr Abd Aziz Mohammed
High Commissioner
Malaysian High Commission


His Excellency Mr Hassan Sobir
High Commissioner
High Commission of the Republic of Maldives


His Excellency Mr Ibrahim Bocar BA
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Mali


His Excellency Dr Michael Refalo
High Commissioner
Malta High Commission


His Excellency Mr Mealainine Ould Moctar Neche
Ambassador
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania


His Excellency Mr Abhimanu Kundasamy
High Commissioner
Mauritius High Commission


His Excellency Mr Juan Jose Bremer de Martino
Ambassador
Embassy of Mexico


Her Excellency Mrs Mariana Durlesteanu
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Moldova


Mrs Evelyne Genta
Consul General
Consulate General of Monaco


His Excellency Mr Mohammed Belmahi
Ambassador
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco


His Excellency Mr Antonio Gumende
High Commissioner
High Commission for the Republic of Mozambique


His Excellency Mr George Mbanga Liswaniso
High Commissioner
High Commission for the Republic of Namibia


Mr Dipendra P Bista
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of Nepal


His Excellency Mr Pieter Willem Waldeck
Ambassador
Royal Netherlands Embassy


His Excellency Rt Hon Mr Jonathan Hunt
High Commissioner
New Zealand High Commission


His Excellency Mr Piero P Coen
Ambassador
Embassy of Nicaragua


His Excellency Mr Adamou Seydou
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Niger


His Excellency Dr Christopher Olusola Kolade Con
High Commissioner
High Commission, the Federal Republic of Nigeria


His Excellency Mr Bjarne Lindstrom
Ambassador
Royal Norwegian Embassy


His Excellency Mr Hussain Ali Abdullatif
Ambassador
Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman


Her Excellency Miss Liliana Fernandez P
Ambassador
Embassy of Panama


Her Excellency Ms Jean Kekedo OBE
High Commissioner
Papua New Guinea High Commission


Ms Maria Cristina Acosta Alvarez
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay


Mr Gustavo Meza-Cuadra
Minister Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of Peru


His Excellency Mr Edgardo B Espiritu
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines


Mr Cezary Krol
Minister Counsellor
Embassy of the Republic of Poland


His Excellency Mr Antonia Santana-Carlos
Ambassador
Embassy of Portugal


His Excellency Mr Khalid Rashid Al-Hamoudi Al-Mans
Ambassador
Embassy of the State of Qatar


Mrs Raduta Matache
Charge d’Affairs
Embassy of Romania


His Excellency Mr Yury V Fedotov
Ambassador
Embassy of the Russian Federation


His Excellency Mr Claver Gatete
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda


His Excellency Mr James Ernest Williams
High Commissioner
High Commission for Saint Christopher & Nevis


His Excellency Mr Emmanuel Hercules Cotter MBE
High Commissioner
High Commission for Saint Lucia


His Excellency Mr Cenio E Lewis
High Commissioner
High Commission for Saint Vincent & the Grenadines


His Excellency ME Tuala Falani Chan Tung
High Commissioner
High Commission of the Independent State of Samoa


Her Excellency Contessa Marina Meneghetti de Camil
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of San Marino


Mr Armindo de Brito
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of Sao Tome and Principe


HRH Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz
Ambassador
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia


His Excellency General Mamadou Niang
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Senegal


Mr Djoko Tripkovic
Minister Counsellor
Embassy of the Republic of Serbia


Ms Renette Nicette
Third Secretary
The Seychelles High Commission


His Excellency Mr Melvin Humpah Chalobah
High Commissioner
Sierra Leone High Commission


His Excellency Mr Michael Eng Cheng Teo
High Commissioner
High Commission for the Republic of Singapore


Mr Radovan Javorcik
Charge d’Affairs
Embassy of the Slovak Republic


His Excellency Mr Iztok Mirosic
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia


Her Excellency Ms L Mabuza
High Commissioner
South African High Commission


His Excellency Mr Carlos Miranda, Count of Casa Miranda
Ambassador
Embassy of Spain


Her Excellency Mrs Kshenuka Senewiratne
High Commissioner
High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


Mr Hassan Abdelazizag Farag
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan


Ms Susan M Derby
Charge d’Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of Suriname


Her Excellency Mrs Mary M Kanya
High Commissioner
Kingdom of Swaziland High Commission


His Excellency Mr Staffan Carlsson
Ambassador
Embassy of Sweden


His Excellency Mr Alexis Lautenberg
Ambassador
Swiss Embassy


His Excellency Dr Sami Khiyami
Ambassador
Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic


Her Excellency Mwanaidi Sinare Maajar
High Commissioner
High Commission, the United Republic of Tanzania


Mr Bansarn Bunnag
Minister Charge d’Affaires
Royal Thai Embassy


His Excellency Mr Tchao Sotou Bere
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Togo


His Excellency Dr Sione Ngongo Kioa
High Commissioner
Tonga High Commission


Her Excellency Mrs Glenda P Morean Phillip
High Commissiner
High Commissioner, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago


His Excellency Mr Mohamed Ghariani
Ambassador
Embassy of Tunisia


His Excellency Mr Akin Alptuna
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey


His Excellency Mr Yazmurad N Seryaev
Ambassador
Embassy of Turkmenistan


Her Excellency Mrs Joan Rwabyomere
High Commissioner
Uganda High Commission


His Excellency Dr Ihor Y Kharchenko
Ambassador
Embassy of Ukraine


His Excellency Mr Easa Saleh Al Gurg CBE
Ambassador
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates


His Excellency Mr Robert Tuttle
Ambassador
United State of America Embassy


His Excellency Mr Ricardo Varela
Ambassador
Embassy of Uruguay


His Excellency Mr Tukhtapulat Riskiev
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan


His Excellency Mr Alfredo Toro-Hardy
Ambassador
Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela


His Excellency Mr Trinh Duc Du
Ambassador
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam


HE Mr Mohamed Taha Mustafa
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Yemen


His Excellency Mr Anderson K Chibwa
High Commissioner
High Commission for the Republic of Zambia


His Excellency Mr Gabriel Mharadze Machinga
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe



  Scotland-Based Consulates

  

Name
Position
Country


Mr William Roxburgh
Honorary Consul
Australia


John Clifford
Honorary Consul
Austria


Dr Wali Tasar Uddin
Honorary Consul
Bangladesh


Mr Yves Albert Marie Leonard Lemarchand
Honorary Consul
Belgium


Alastair Wallis
Honorary Consul
Brazil


Nikolei Zhelev
Honorary Consul
Bulgaria


Mr John Rafferty
Honorary Consul
Canada


Mr Ian Cochrane
Honorary Consul
Chile


Guifang Guo
Consul-General
China


Mrs Gloria Duguid
Honorary Consul
Cote d’Ivoire


Dr Paul Millar
Honorary Consul
Czech Republic


Norman MacFarlane Irons
Consulate General
Denmark


Mr Iain M Lawson
Honorary Consul
Estonia


Michael James Walker
Honorary Consul
Finland


Nicole Taillefer
Consul General
France


Peter Geoffrey Seazell
Honorary Consul
Gambie


Ingo Heinrich Radcke
Consul-General
Germany


Mrs Melpomeni Papaioannou-Plevris
Honorary Consul
Greece


Thomas Henry Drysdale
Honorary Consul
Hungary


Cameron Roy Marchand Buchanan
Honorary Consul
Iceland


Ms Cliona Leslie
Consul General
Ireland


Andrea Macchioni
Consul-General
Italy


Shuhei Takahashi
Consul General
Japan


William Peter Cameron MacNair
Honorary Consul
Jordan


William John Toner
Honorary Consul
Lithuania


Timothy Noble
Honorary Consul
Luxembourg


Colin Cameron
Honorary Consul
Malawi


Nicholas Pace
Honorary Consul
Malta


Robin Andrew Stormonth-Darling
Honorary Consul
Mexico


Mr John Kenneth Scott Moncrieff
Honorary Consul
Monaco


Robyn Muir Murray
Honorary Consul
Mongolia


Mr Michael David Hughes
Honorary Consul
Netherlands


Eric Milligan
Honorary Consul
New Zealand


Oystein Hovdkinn
Consul General
Norway


Ian Hutchison Corbett
Honorary Consul
Philippines


Mr Aleksander Dietkow
Honorary Consul
Poland


Vladimir Malygin
Consul General
Russia


Alan Goodall
Honorary Consul
Rwanda


Duncan Alexanda Spiers
Consul
Slovak


Ana Wersun
Honorary Consul
Slovenia


Federico Palomera
Consul-General
Spain


Mr Torvald Coliander
Honorary Consul General
Sweden


Mr Bruno Widrig
Consul General
Switzerland


Alexander Donald Stewart
Honorary Consul
Thailand


Henry Murray
Honorary Consul
Tunisia


Ian Wittet
Honorary Consul
Turkey


Mr Bohdan Yaremenko
Consul General
Ukraine


Lia A Vickers
Consulate-General
USA

Disclosure Scotland

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional resources will be made available to support the implementation of the strengthened Scottish Vetting and Barring Scheme that is due to go live in summer 2009.

Adam Ingram: We are committed to ensuring that the implementation of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 is carefully managed and that all sectors and users are supported through the transition from the existing multiple disclosure regime to the new streamlined vetting and barring system. Resources will be made available for this purpose including for training and support to organisations that will use the scheme.

Disclosure Scotland

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to streamline the disclosure process to ensure that multiple applications no longer occur.

Adam Ingram: Implementation of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 will establish a new vetting and barring scheme which will reduce bureaucracy around the disclosure process for individuals working with children and/or protected adults. Under the current system, individuals have to provide all the requisite personal information every time they make an application for enhanced disclosure. In future, such individuals will become members of the vetting and barring scheme so that subsequent applications for disclosure will be much more straightforward. There will also be no need for employers to repeatedly request disclosures for the same staff as they will be informed of any additional vetting information that brings into question the individual’s continued suitability to work with vulnerable groups.

Drugs Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS hospital admissions had a primary diagnosis of a mental or behavioural disorder related to the use of cannabis in each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: Information is provided on the number of discharges from Scottish general/acute hospitals and Scottish mental and psychiatric hospitals for the last five years.

  Table 1 shows the number of discharges from NHS general acute hospitals with a primary diagnosis of a mental or behavioural disorder due to use of cannabinoids between 2001-02 and 2005-06, in Scotland. Table 2 shows the number of discharges from NHS psychiatric units and mental illness hospitals with a primary diagnosis of a mental or behavioural disorder due to use of cannabinoids between 2000-01 and 2004-05, in Scotland.

  Table 1: Scottish General Acute Hospitals1: Number of Discharges2 with a Primary Diagnosis of a Mental or Behavioural Disorder Due to Use of Cannabinoids3,4 for Financial Years 2001-02 To 2005-06

  

 Year
 Number of Discharges


 2001-02
 17


 2002-03
 6


 2003-04
 10


 2004-05
 10


 2005-06
 14



  Source: ISD Scotland SDMD (SMR01).

  Note:

  1. Figures in the table only relate to those individuals who are treated as in-patients. They do not include individuals managed as out-patients.

  2. Excludes transfers.

  3. Discharges where mental or behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids is recorded as the primary reason for admission to hospital. Diagnostic information is defined by using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10): F12.

  4. Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. The recording of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids may vary from hospital to hospital. Where drug misuse is suspected but unconfirmed it may not be recorded by the hospital.

  Table 2: Scottish Psychiatric Units and Mental Illness Hospitals1: Number of Discharges with a Primary Diagnosis of a Mental or Behavioural Disorder Due to Use Of Cannabinoids2, 3 for Financial Years 2000-01 To 2004-054.

  

 Year
 Number of Discharges


 2000-01
 68


 2001-02
 57


 2002-03
 78


 2003-04
 65


 2004-05
 87



  Source: ISD Scotland SDMD (SMR04).

  Notes:

  1. Figures in the table only relate to those individuals who are treated as in-patients. They do not include individuals managed as out-patients.

  2. Discharges where mental or behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids is recorded as the primary reason for admission to hospital. Diagnostic information is defined by using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10): F12.

  3. Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. The recording of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids may vary from hospital to hospital. Where drug misuse is suspected but unconfirmed it may not be recorded by the hospital.

  4. Most recent year for which data is available.

Electricity

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S3O-905 by Stewart Maxwell on 25 October 2007 ( Official Report c. 2740), what representations have been made to Scottish Power on ending the backcharging of prepayment meter customers.

Stewart Maxwell: I have written to José Luis Del Valle, the Managing Director of Scottish Power inviting him to meet with me as soon as possible to discuss this important issue.

Fisheries

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for monitoring water bailiffs.

Richard Lochhead: Water bailiffs are duty bound to operate within the law. Sponsor organisations and District Salmon Fishery Boards should monitor the activities of their own bailiffs.

Fisheries

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms there are for complaints about the actions of water bailiffs.

Richard Lochhead: In the case of water bailiffs appointed by the Scottish ministers, Scottish ministers would consider any complaints of inappropriate action and take appropriate steps. In the case of water bailiffs appointed by District Salmon Fishery Boards, individual boards would be expected to deal with complaints pertaining to their water bailiffs.

Food Standards

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a survey of all suppliers of bivalue molluscs to assess the extent of any burden placed on them by existing food safety regulations and to investigate the scope for streamlining the system to reduce bureaucracy while maintaining adequate protection of the public interest.

Shona Robison: The Food Standards Agency is the UK Competent Authority under European law for food safety legislation. The current EU Food Hygiene Regulations have applied in the UK since 1 January 2006 with the objective to ensure a high level of consumer protection with regard to food safety. Prior to the implementation of the regulations a full public consultation involving the shellfish industry took place. Any flexibilities that were available were adopted to minimise burden on industry at that time.

  The agency in Scotland has and continues to work in partnership with the shellfish industry to ensure the proportionate implementation of the official control monitoring programmes for shellfish that are a requirement of Community Law.

General Practitioners

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of providing locum support for out-of-hours and other GP services has been since the new GMS contract came into effect.

Shona Robison: Out-of-Hours

  The information on the cost of providing locum support for out-of-hours care is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

  Other GP Services

  The following table summarises the cost to NHS boards for all Scotland of providing locum support to GP contractors to maintain GP services. The information is broken down into those categories under which a GP contractor is entitled to claim reimbursement from their NHS board for engaging a locum.

  

 
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Adoption, Maternity, Paternity Leave
 1.71
 1.74
 2.01


 Sickness
 0.47
 0.36
 0.65


 Suspended Doctors
 0.00
 0.00
 0.00


 Other*
 -
 0.88
 0.86


 Total
 2.18
 2.98
 3.52



  Notes:

  *Information is not available for 2004-05.

  All figures are in £ million.

Health

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5136 by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 October 2007, what the membership was of the review group on cleft lip and palate services in Aberdeen.

Nicola Sturgeon: The membership of the Review Group was as follows:

  Mr Arthur Morris (Chair) Retired Plastic Surgeon

  Mr John Boorman Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Queen Victoria Hospital

  Ms Kathy Collins Nursing and Quality Adviser, NSD

  Mr Peter Croan Head of Finance, NSD

  Mr Gareth Davies Chief Executive, Cleft Lip and Palate Association

  Mrs Deirdre Evans Director, NSD

  Mr Harry Norton Finance Manager, NHS Grampian

  Dr Joyce Russell Consultant Orthodontist, Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital

  Mr Alistair Smythe Consultant Maxillo-Facial Surgeon, Leeds General Infirmary

  Mr David Steel Project Manager, NSD.

Health

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5136 by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 October 2007, whether the decision-making process in the review of cleft lip and palate services in Aberdeen is the same as the process that will be used to review other areas of NHS Scotland’s national service delivery.

Nicola Sturgeon: The highly specialised surgical element of the cleft lip and palate service is formally designated as a national service. All of these services are subject to regular review to make sure that they continue to meet the criteria for designation. The decision-making process used in the review of the cleft lip and palate surgical service was the same as that used in relation to reviews of any of the services which have been formally designated as national services.

  Our recently-published discussion document Better Health, Better Care made it clear that in making decisions about the future configuration of services there will be a clear presumption against centralisation. We accept that there may be occasions when it makes sense to concentrate services. Any such moves must, however, result in benefits to patients and be subject to meaningful consultation and independent scrutiny to ensure that they are based on the best available evidence and give due weight to the views of local people.

Housing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the City of Edinburgh Council’s estimate that 1,200 new affordable houses require to be built every year for the next decade in order to address Edinburgh’s housing shortage.

Stewart Maxwell: The City of Edinburgh Council, as strategic housing authority for Edinburgh, is responsible for determining housing needs within the City of Edinburgh area.

  The figure of 12,000 new affordable houses required to be built over the next ten years was derived from evidence contained in the Lothian Housing Needs and Market Study undertaken in 2005.

  In our discussion document Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland, the Scottish Government has set out our proposals for improving the supply and choice of affordable housing nationally. These include challenging Scotland’s local authorities, developers and builders to increase the rate of new housing supply to at least 35,000 houses a year by the middle of the next decade; increasing the role of local authorities as landlords by offering them financial incentives to build new council houses; ending the right to buy on new social housing, and reforming the regime for subsidising social housing, so that it supports the largest possible programme of new social housing.

Housing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its targets for 35,000 new affordable houses will meet the requirements of Scottish Planning Policy 6: Renewable Energy for reducing carbon emissions and the use of onsite microgeneration and combined heat and power systems.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what precise energy efficiency standards will be met by its proposed new affordable houses.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution its proposed new affordable housing will make to the Scottish Government’s CO 2 emission reduction targets in (a) real and (b) percentage terms.

Stewart Maxwell: Our housing discussion document, Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland,  sets out our proposals to challenge local authorities, developers and builders to increase the rate of new housing supply to at least 35,000 per year by the middle of the next decade. This increase in supply would apply to all tenures, both market and affordable housing and would require all new homes to be built by the high environmental standards set by the relevant planning requirements and building standards applicable at that time.

  Revised energy standards were introduced on 1 May 2007, for all new buildings and those which are converted, extended or altered. These measures are the best in the UK and are expected to save around 6,000 tonnes of carbon per year, on the basis of 35,000 new houses per year, which is an 18-25% saving compared with 2005. The energy standards required to be met by new houses are the functional standards for Section 6: Energy in the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 as amended in 2006 and 2007.

  Scottish ministers appointed an Expert Panel which met in September 2007 to advise on a Low Carbon Buildings Standards Strategy for Scotland. The report of the panel is likely to set out a number of workstreams on a wide range of energy efficiency and performance measures specific to buildings, including the use of low carbon equipment. The panel’s report is due before the end of the year.

  The requirements of Scottish Planning Policy 6: Renewable Energy for the use of onsite zero and low carbon equipment to contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions will operate alongside, and in addition to, the requirements set out in building standards.

Housing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in Edinburgh will be eligible to apply for support through its low-cost initiative for first-time buyers.

Stewart Maxwell: The LIFT initiative – our Low-cost Initiative for First-Time buyers – is a key part of the package of measures to revitalise Scotland’s housing set out in the  Firm Foundations  discussion document published on 31 October 2007.

  LIFT currently includes a mix of government grants and shared equity schemes. However, through the Firm Foundations consultation process, we are seeking views on other potential measures which could be incorporated within LIFT. The number of households who will be eligible to apply for support through LIFT will therefore depend on LIFT’s future composition.

  Through LIFT we aim to assist at least 1,800 households into home ownership this year. A significant number of these households is expected to be located in the Edinburgh area.

Housing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what energy efficiency criteria will be included in the single seller survey.

Stewart Maxwell: The Single Survey will contain information in the form of an Energy Performance Certificate and energy report. The objective is to give owners and prospective buyers information about the energy efficiency of the properties concerned and to encourage investment in energy efficiency measures by enabling potential purchasers to compare buildings in terms of their likely fuel costs. Specifically, the following information will be included:

  an assessment of the CO2-impact rating of the property, with a specific indication of current and potential energy efficiency;

  current and potential estimated annual energy use (Kwh/m2 per year);

  current and potential annual carbon dioxide emissions (Kg/m2 per year);

  current and potential estimated running costs for lighting, heating and hot water;

  an explanation of the standard assumptions made about occupancy, heating patterns and geographical location, and the energy use and fuel costs taken into account;

  a description of recommended measures to improve the rating of the dwelling, including measures that may become cost-effective in the future and measures which may be cost-effective when other building work is being carried out;

  the typical costs of the recommended measures;

  typical cost savings for each individual recommended improvement;

  further information on the purpose and benefit of the rating and improvements;

  advice on the need for legal permissions (for example planning, listed building and building warrants);

  sources of further information on energy efficiency, and

  contact details for the surveyor.

Housing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis the Scottish Government has carried out of the factors contributing to the 8% above-inflation increase in subsidy required by housing associations, referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 31 October 2007 ( Official Report c. 2839), and what these factors are.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government analysed the amount of Housing Association Grant (HAG) that Communities Scotland paid out between 2002-03 and 2006-07 to support the construction of new houses for social rent. The analysis showed that the average amount of grant per house rose from £52,000 in 2002-03 to £79,000 in 2006-07: equivalent to an annual increase of 8% in real terms over the period.

  Factors that may have contributed to the increase include land and construction costs. In Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland, the Scottish Government proposes to address these and other contributory factors, and ensure that public expenditure supports the largest possible programme of new social housing, through the introduction of arrangements for awarding HAG on a competitive basis.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review takes into account that the planned expenditure on housing and regeneration for 2006-07 was over £800 million.

Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spending plans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategic objectives and deliver for the people of Scotland across all our expenditure programmes, including housing and regeneration.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review takes into account that the planned expenditure on low-cost home ownership schemes for 2006-07 was over £30 million.

Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spending plans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategic objectives and deliver for the people of Scotland across all our expenditure programmes, including low cost home ownership.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review will take into account that planned expenditure on the affordable housing investment programme for 2006-07 was £439 million.

Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spending plans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategic objectives and deliver for the people of Scotland across all our expenditure programmes, including affordable housing.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review will take into account that planned expenditure on community regeneration for 2006-07 was £150 million.

Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spending plans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategic objectives and deliver for the people of Scotland across all our expenditure programmes.

  The announcement included details of our plans for regeneration, where we are supporting large-scale projects to achieve the comprehensive regeneration of targeted areas through a range of initiatives to improve their physical, economic, environmental and social circumstances. We will also work with local government and community planning partnerships to provide targeted regeneration action to tackle poverty in the most disadvantaged communities.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are for the Housing Supply Task Force to meet representatives from disability organisations.

Stewart Maxwell: The Housing Supply Task Force is charged with tackling the impediments to increasing housing supply in Scotland and as a consequence has no current plans to meet representatives from disability organisations.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being undertaken by the Housing Supply Task Force on the housing concerns of disability organisations.

Stewart Maxwell: The purpose of the Housing Supply Task Force is to promote action and to make a practical difference to the delivery of housing across Scotland. The investigative work that the task force is undertaking is with the purpose of challenging those with responsibility for delivery and pressing for change where this is hampering housing supply.

  While increasing housing supply is vital, we recognise that the new homes need to be built to high standards of design and sustainability. Sustainability requires that homes can accommodate the needs of an ageing and diverse population, including the needs of people with disabilities. The new Scottish building regulations include requirements that will make homes more accessible and easier to adapt in future. We will also be stressing to local authorities the importance of taking into account the needs of this important group within our communities in the preparation of their next local housing strategies.

International Relations

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the appointment of further Scottish Government counsellors at UK embassies and high commissions overseas.

Linda Fabiani: There are currently no plans to make further such appointments elsewhere.

International Relations

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before appointing Robin Naysmith as the Scottish Government Counsellor in North America.

Linda Fabiani: The grading of the Scottish Government’s representation in North America and the decision about who to appoint to the post are matters exclusively for the Permanent Secretary. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was informed about the intention to widen the duties of the post and to upgrade it in advance of the announcement.

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to address the implications for Scotland of the UK Government signing the Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings.

Kenny MacAskill: Scottish ministers sit on the UK Interdepartmental Ministerial Group with responsibility for overseeing implementation of the UK Action Plan on Human Trafficking and for ensuring that the UK is fully compliant with the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking.

  The Scottish Government is currently working with counterparts in the UK Government to produce an implementation plan detailing the exact steps required to be taken to ensure compliance with the terms of the Convention.

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to provide funding for a Scottish task force on human trafficking.

Kenny MacAskill: We have no plans at present to establish a Scottish Government task force on human trafficking. The Scottish Government is part of the UK Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking and Scottish Government officials sit on the group responsible for implementation of the UK Action Plan on Human Trafficking and for ensuring compliance with the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

  Scottish Government officials sit on the ACPOS sub-group on human trafficking, which brings together representatives from Scottish police forces, the UK Human Trafficking Centre, the Borders and Immigration Agency, the SCDEA and others to co-ordinate enforcement work to combat human trafficking in Scotland.

  Scottish representatives also sit on the working groups set up by the UK Human Trafficking Centre to take forward work on: training, learning and development; victim care; operations intelligence, and prevention of human trafficking.

Justice

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the consequences of the Somerville judgment will be for the actions currently before the court raised by prisoners and ex-prisoners and how the Scottish Government will respond.

Kenny MacAskill: As a government we are determined to deal with both the causes and effects of the court actions we have inherited relating to slopping out. I have today confirmed that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) will invest on average £120 million a year to build long-needed replacement prisons in the north-east and Bishopbriggs and end the conditions that leave the system open to these claims.

  Slopping out was first held by the Scottish courts to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights in Napier, a case relating to prison conditions going back to 1999 and decided in 2004.

  Further actions in the Court of Session and the sheriff court were sisted pending the outcome of the House of Lords decision in the related case of Somerville.

  In September 2006 the then Scottish Executive made a concession in the light of European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence to settle claims where prisoners had been detained in a shared cell with no access to in-cell sanitation. Offers of settlement were limited to those cases which then fell within the Scottish Executive’s interpretation of the time bar in human rights cases. The Scottish Prison Service at that time made provision in its accounts against the possibility of further successful claims.

  On 24 October 2007 the House of Lords ruled that the Scotland Act 1998 does not provide an explicit time bar for human rights claims brought against Scottish ministers.

  In the light of this ruling we have concluded that we have no option but to settle outstanding court cases where an individual has been detained in the relevant conditions for a material period of time, subject to any general provisions on prescription and limitation of claims and delay. To continue to defend these cases would incur further costs for no public benefit. The cases will be settled using the provision previously made in SPS’s accounts.

  The effect of the House of Lords ruling is to leave the Scottish Government as the only public authority exposed to claims of this kind without a one year time bar. I have made it clear to the UK Government that I regard that position as untenable and unacceptable and that action is required to restore the position to what we believe was intended in 1998 and was understood to be case before now. If that requires amendment of the Scotland Act, I believe the UK Government should be prepared to consider bringing forward legislation to that effect. I continue to discuss these points with the UK Government and will give further details to Parliament in due course.

Livestock

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the tender for bluetongue vaccines recently announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will include vaccines for Scotland and, if not, whether it has any plans to provide such vaccines for Scottish livestock.

Richard Lochhead: Bluetongue vaccine for the strain of virus currently circulating in England and parts of mainland Europe is currently under development and it is hoped that it will be available by mid-2008. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs tender was very welcome news for the positive signal it sends to vaccine manufacturers about potential demand. It is expected that such a vaccine resource would be used where it is most appropriate to the control of bluetongue virus in the United Kingdom.

  Under current European Union rules it is not permissible to use vaccine in bluetongue free areas such as Scotland and the Scottish Government will continue to work with stakeholders and other UK Government’s to keep the size of any bluetongue vaccine bank under review and to ensure that it is capable of meeting any Scottish needs.

Livestock

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to procure sufficient stocks of bluetongue vaccine.

Richard Lochhead: The use of bluetongue vaccine in areas such as Scotland which are free of disease is currently prohibited by the European Commission. The Scottish Government is working closely with stakeholders to consider potential Scottish needs and is liaising closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with regard to the current exercise to establish a vaccine bank within the UK.

Livestock

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the export market would still be available to Scottish livestock producers in the event of a significant outbreak of bluetongue in Great Britain.

Richard Lochhead: Live exports would be banned from any area covered by a bluetongue restriction zone. However, the export of meat and meat products from these areas to the rest of the European Union would continue to be permitted. Export to 3rd countries are also permitted subject to their agreement.

  Scotland is currently free of disease and the Scottish Government will continue to work with industry to maintain disease freedom and associated movement restrictions for as long as possible.

Ministerial Meetings

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S3O-905 by Stewart Maxwell on 25 October 2007 (Official Report c. 2740), whether he has yet met Scottish Power.

Stewart Maxwell: I have written to José Luis Del Valle, the managing director of Scottish Power inviting him to meet with me as soon as possible to discuss this important issue.

Ophthalmic Services

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS sight tests and eye examinations were carried out in (a) NHS Tayside and (b) NHS Grampian in the (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07 financial years.

Shona Robison: The information requested is shown in the following table.

  The Number of Sight Test and Eye Examinations1 by NHS Board for Year Ending 31 March

  

 
 Grampian
 Tayside


 2006
 94,103
 79,355


 20072
 169,323
 128,179



  Source: These data are extracted from the ophthalmic payment system OPTIX.

  Notes:

  1. On 1 April 2006, a new NHS eye examination was introduced and entitlement was extended to all in Scotland. The traditional NHS sight test was replaced by a comprehensive eye examination appropriate to the patient’s needs. An initial eye examination is carried out (primary eye examination) and where necessary this is followed by a further eye examination (supplementary eye examination).

  2. These figures include both primary and supplementary NHS Eye examinations.

Police

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what power it has to instruct chief constables to deploy officers in community policing.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-5892 on 8 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Police

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it envisages for any of the 297 police officers who retired or left Tayside Police from April 2002 to September 2007 so that the force can receive its proportionate share of "the equivalent of 1,000 additional police officers", as outlined in Principles and Priorities: The Government's Programme for Scotland.

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it envisages for any of the 137 police officers who are projected to retire from Tayside Police from January 2008 to December 2011 so that Tayside Police can receive its proportionate share of "the equivalent of 1,000 additional police officers", as outlined in Principles and Priorities: The Government's Programme for Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: The deployment of resources is an operational matter for chief constables. The Scottish Government will continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure that more of the skills and experience of those officers recently retired or about to retire are retained.

Poverty

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures effectiveness in tackling child poverty.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is committed to the UK Government’s target to eradicate child poverty by 2020. As the new national outcomes and indicators that we published last week make clear, we will measure the effectiveness of our combined efforts to tackle child poverty in Scotland through the measure of relative child poverty, as reported annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics.

Poverty

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Housing Supply Task Force does not include representatives from disability organisations.

Stewart Maxwell: The purpose of the Housing Supply Task Force is to promote action that will make a practical difference to the increase of housing supply across all tenures in Scotland. Membership of the core group has deliberately been restricted to those in a position to bring about change to the delivery of more housing. Through its activities, the Task Force will engage with a wider set of interests concerned with housing delivery.

  The Scottish Government recognises the particular housing needs of people with disabilities. We are determined to drive forward the integration of equality into all our policies and plans and, with this in mind, have specifically sought the views of disability organisations on the range of proposals set out in our recent housing discussion document Firm Foundations.

Prison Service

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of prisoners on remand in each year since 1980 were not subsequently convicted of the offences for which they were remanded.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information is not available from Prison Service records.

Prison Service

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of prisoners on remand in each year since 1980 did not subsequently serve custodial sentences for the offences for which they were remanded.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not available. However, research carried out in 1997 suggests that around 50% of remand prisoners go on to receive a custodial disposal.

Scottish Government Expenditure

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to Caledonia Youth in each year since 1999.

Stewart Maxwell: Caledonia Youth has received funding from the Scottish Government in each year since 1999 as detailed in the following table.

  

 Financial Year
 Funding


 1999-2000
£9,000


 2000-01
£159,500


 2001-02
£124,807


 2002-03
£307,729


 2003-04
£469,020


 2004-05
£633,528


 2005-06
£435,084


 2006-07
£355,396

Scottish Government Expenditure

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to the Scottish Inter-Faith Council in each year since 1999.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Interfaith Council has received funding from the Scottish Government in each year since 1999 as detailed in the following table.

  

 Year
 Funding


 1999-2000
 Nil


 2000-01
 Nil


 2001-02
 Nil


 2002-03
£34,000


 2003-04
£62,090


 2004-05
£113,310


 2005-06
£117,125.15


 2006-07
£186,747


 Total
£513,272.15

Scottish Government Expenditure

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to Stonewall in each year since 1999.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government has not given core funding to Stonewall Scotland, nor does it fund campaigning activity. Grant Funding awarded to Stonewall Scotland has been time limited project funding for specific pieces of work relating mainly to inclusion in health and housing, and for mainstreaming equality into public services.

  The grant funding awarded to Stonewall Scotland in each year since 1999 is as follows:

  

 Year
 Stonewall Scotland


 1999-2000
 Nil


 2000-01
 Nil


 2001-02
£86,917.66


 2002-03
£95,537.84


 2003-04
£103,417.66


 2004-05
£130,981.00


 2005-06
£209,438.80


 2006-07
£220,600.00


 Total
£846,892.96

Scottish Government Expenditure

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hard copies of Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland were produced and what the estimated cost was of its production and distribution.

Stewart Maxwell: 2,300 hard copies of the discussion document Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland were produced at a cost of £14,933.00 (exclusive of VAT). The cost of distributing the discussion document was £304.50.

Scottish Government Staff

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff in its justice department will be required to work on 1 January 2008.

Kenny MacAskill: No staff in the Scottish Government’s Justice Directorates will be required to work on 1 January 2008. This does not include staff who will be on call nor staff working in Government Agencies such as the Scottish Prison Service (where up to 1,000 staff (approximately) will be on duty).

Sport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made copies of its consultation document on the future of sportscotland available in the Scottish Parliamentary Information Centre.

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made its consultation document on the future of sportscotland available to MSPs.

Stewart Maxwell: The consultation process is being carried out through a combination of written correspondence and discussions with key stakeholders. Whilst there is no consultation document as such, the Scottish Government will take account of feedback from the written responses, meetings and discussions before we announce our considered strategic decision on the future of sportscotland.

Sport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how lottery funding for sport will be disbursed if it abolishes sportscotland.

Stewart Maxwell: Options are currently being considered and will be announced at the outcome of the review.

Sport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Institute of Sport will be affected by a decision to abolish sportscotland.

Stewart Maxwell: We are committed to improving sport in Scotland and we fully acknowledge the key delivery role the Scottish Institute of Sport plays within the sporting landscape. Until the outcome of the review has been made we cannot comment on what impact any decision will have.

Sport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how liaison with UK Sport will be taken forward if sportscotland is abolished.

Stewart Maxwell: Until the outcome of the review is known I am unable to comment on who would be responsible for specific areas of sportscotland’s work.

Sport

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-3778 to S3W-3781 by Stewart Maxwell on 11 September 2007 and the commitment by the First Minister on 1 November 2007 to a full consultation on the future of sportscotland ( Official Report , c. 2984), whether it will confirm that the internal review being conducted by the Executive will not determine sportscotland’s future prior to that full consultation being completed.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the First Minister’s statement in respect of the future of sportscotland that "a full consultation is being carried out" ( Official Report , c. 2984), whether it will outline the (a) timescale for the consultation, (b) external consultees who have been or will be consulted, (c) parliamentary committees that have been or will be consulted and (d) deadline for responses to the consultation.

Stewart Maxwell: The consultation process is being carried out through a combination of written correspondence and discussions with key stakeholders. The Scottish Government will take account of feedback from written responses, meetings and discussions before we announce our considered strategic decision on the future of sportscotland. The Scottish Government is very conscious that the final decision on the future of sportscotland will have an enormous impact on the lives and future of the staff at sportscotland. We have therefore made a commitment to announcing the outcome before the end of the year.

  All consultees were invited in September to submit their views. Many responses have already been received and will be taken into account in our consideration of strategic options, the outcome of which we will announce before the end of the year. Consultation with key stakeholders is an on-going process that will extend beyond the planned announcement, as detailed proposals are prepared. Accordingly, all responses will be given the fullest consideration that is possible at the time they are received.

  The following bodies have been formally invited to submit their views:

  Sportscotland

  Scottish Institute of Sport

  Scottish Cycling

  Scottish Gymnastics

  Scottish Swimming

  Badminton Scotland

  Judo Scotland

  COSLA

  VOCAL

  Scottish Athletics

  Scottish Sport Association

  Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation

  Scottish Golf Union

  Scottish Rugby Union

  Scottish Football Association

  Scottish University of Sport

  The Health and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament.

Sport

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will distribute the consultation document on which it is seeking responses in relation to the future of sportscotland.

Stewart Maxwell: The consultation process is being carried out through a combination of written correspondence and discussions with key stakeholders. Whilst there is no consultation document as such, the Scottish Government will take account of feedback from the written responses, meetings and discussions before we announce our considered strategic decision on the future of sportscotland.

Sport

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will release all responses received in relation to the consultation on the future of sportscotland.

Stewart Maxwell: It would not be appropriate to release responses received from stakeholders whilst the review of sportscotland is still actively under consideration.

Sport

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will release all correspondence relating to the full consultation on sportscotland’s future.

Stewart Maxwell: It would not be appropriate to release all correspondence received from stakeholders whilst the review of sportscotland is still actively under consideration.

Sport

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the needs of sport will be central to any decision on the future of sportscotland.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government has previously stated, and would take the opportunity to re-affirm, that the outcome of the review will be made taking into account the view of stakeholders, ensuring the needs of sport are central to this process.

St Andrew's Day

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in which country the flags included in the St Andrew’s Day packs sent to schools and universities were manufactured.

Linda Fabiani: Flags are sourced from a variety of manufacturers in Scotland, the UK and overseas markets. The buying decision is made on quality, price and required delivery time. The flags used with the leaflet sent to pre-schools and Student Unions were sourced from Taiwan. In 2006 there was a larger distribution of Saltire flags, as part of a pack sent to all schools in Scotland. The same supplier arrangements were in place.

St Andrew's Day

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of sending St Andrew’s Day packs to schools and universities across Scotland, including Saltire flags, booklets and postage, and under which budget heading the cost is covered.

Fiona Hyslop: The total cost for sending out an A5 flyer and merchandise to pre-schools, schools and universities was £10,483.48. The pre-school and school flyers were met from the Schools Directorate Communications budget. The postage for Universities was met from Lifelong Learning budget. The Saltire flags for pre-schools and universities plus the pens, bookmarks and This is Scotland book for universities were met from the International Projects Budget.

  Saltire flags were not sent to schools this year as they were included in the St Andrew’s Day packs sent to schools last year. There are approximately 2,800 schools in Scotland.

Vaccinations

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many influenza vaccinations have been administered in each year since 1980, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.

Shona Robison: This information is available broken down by those aged 65 and over and those under the age of 65.

  For those aged 65 and over figures are available from the year 2000. Information for the years 2000-05 is given in the table Flu Vaccination Uptake for the period 2000-05, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37783). Information for years 2005-06 and 2006-07 can be found in the following tables.

  

 NHS Board
 2005-06 Vaccinations
 2006-07 Vaccinations


 Ayrshire and Arran
 51,695
 51,049


 Argyll and Clyde
 52,185
 n/a


 Borders
 15,750
 15,174


 Dumfries and Galloway
 23,125
 22,611


 Fife
 42,274
 40,786


 Forth Valley
 34,747
 34,394


 Greater Glasgow
 101,222
 135,979


 Grampian
 54,212
 52,357


 Highland
 27,958
 33,495


 Lanarkshire
 59,718
 58,336


 Lothian
 71,804
 69,082


 Orkney
 1,382
 1,385


 Shetland
 171
 171


 Tayside
 56,392
 53,386


 Western Isles
 3,508
 3,365


 Scotland
 596,143
 571,570



  Note: Figures taken from the Practitioner Services Division claims for payment for vaccinating 65s and over under the GMS contract. Figures do not include a small number of Section 17c and salaried GP practices.

  Estimates on flu vaccine uptake for the under 65s is available for the last two years and is detailed in the following table:

  

 NHS Board
 2005-06 Uptake1
 2006-07 Uptake2


 Ayrshire and Arran
 8,157
 14,597


 Argyll and Clyde
 10,414
 n/a


 Borders
 3,159
 2,869


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2,202
 5,004


 Fife
 8,030
 12,585


 Forth Valley
 5,920
 8,928


 Greater Glasgow
 19,649
 40,870


 Grampian
 12,481
 14,979


 Highland
 4,842
 9,049


 Lanarkshire
 9,618
 14,406


 Lothian
 15,333
 21,266


 Orkney
 525
 589


 Shetland
 272
 541


 Tayside
 6,613
 9,141


 Western Isles
 778
 1,142


 Scotland
 107,993
 155,966



  Notes:

  Figures taken from returns made to Health Protection Scotland by approximately 60% of GP practices.

  1. Information received from 401 practices.

  2. Information received from 676 practices.